In our household, summer means three things: the monsoons (my favourite time of the year) aren't far behind, mangoes are in season and lastly, 'tis the season to bring out the ice-cream maker and the ice-lolly stands and let our imaginations run wild.

Although I'm definitely an ice-lolly kinda girl, I do have a weakness for anything rose-flavoured. Which is why when I came across this kulfi recipe recently, I decided to make merry while the sun shone (blazed, to be more precise) and make a batch. It turned out to be delicious- the flavours were refreshing and subtle, which is always a good thing when it's a milk-based sweet. A week later, when mom and I were planning out the menu for our cooking class, we knew we had to include this recipe. I was excited to see how well it was received- a few people even took a kufli or two home to share with their families. Without further ado, here's the recipe- I hope you give it a try.

Pistachio and Rose Kulfi

(adapted from 'Good Food', Indian edition)

(yields about 12 kulfis)

Ingredients:

1 litre milk

100 gm sugar, or to taste

4 tbsp milk powder

2 tbs ground pistachio

1 tbsp rose syrup

green food colour (optional)

Method:

Bring milk and sugar to boil, stirring occasionally. Grind the pistachio to a fine powder. When the milk thickens, add the ground pistachio, milk powder, rose syrup and the green food colour. Cool completely, pour into molds and freeze overnight.

Note: I used rose flavouring instead of syrup and it worked just fine. Also, when tasting for sweetness keep in mind that kulfi (like every frozen dessert) becomes less sweet as it freezes and sets. Adjust the sweetness by adding more rose syrup or sugar syrup if necessary.